


)^/t> 






SCHOOL 



BUILDINGS 




ISSUED BY 

The Department of Public Instruction 

KATHERINE M. COOK 

Superintendent 






DENVER, COLORADO 
THE SMITH-BROOKS PRINTING COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS 

1910 



D. OF D. 

MAB 24 .9ia 



To the Superintendents, Teachers and School Directors of Colo- 
rado: 

The issuance of this bulletin was suggested to me while on 
trips throughout the state, attending teachers' institutes and 
visiting schools, during the summer and fall of the past year. 

It is surprising how many unsightly, ill-adapted school build- 
ings exist, which, if the money expended in their construction 
had been used to the best advantage, would be both sanitary and 
convenient. This bulletin has been prepared with special refer- 
ence to the needs of schools located in rural districts and small 
towns, since the larger cities have, as a rule, sufficient funds at 
their disj)osal to employ competent architects to make plans for 
suitable buildings in M'hich to school our children. 

Whether a school building contains one, ten or twenty 
rooms, it should be so arranged as to secure not only the greatest 
convenience in school M'ork, ready means of exit in emergencies 
(and other conditions necessary in all public buildings), but par- 
ticularly good heating and ventilating systems and lighting facil- 
ities. Unfortunately, it is rarely the case that we find school 
buildings satisfactory in all these features. It is especially de- 
plorable to see new buildings being erected, sometimes at great 
cost, in which as little attention is paid to these important mat- 
ters as was done in the old buildings. 

It also happens frequently that where ventilating and heat- 
ing systems have been installed, the teachers and janitors, through 
unfamiliarity with their operation, fail to obtain the best results. 

Surely every child is entitled to comfortable and sanitary 
conditions in the school room, where he spends from five to six 
hours every school day, and no district should be placed in the 
position of forcing pupils into buildings, or surrounding them by 
conditions which are injurious to their physical welfare. 

The school is not worth more than the "district pays for it, 
and if school premises are unattractive or re])ulsive, work with 
real spirit in it is not likely to be accomplished. 

It is remarkable what a great change may be brought about in 
the appearance of the school buildings by a little inexpensive but 
artistic decoration. A regrettable fact is that many of our 
school houses may be recognized by their interior, as well as 
exterior, barrenness. There is no reason why our school build- 
ings should not be as attractive as the average homes of the 
pupils. 

The site of the building should be so selected as to provide 
for ample ])lay grounds and, when possible, school gardens. The 
problem of adocpinto i>lay grounds is just as important in the niral 



districts and small towns as it is in large '"cities. Particular 
attention should be given to this selection, and schools should be 
located where water is available, either in ditches or from wells 
supplied with wind mills. 

It is hoped that this bulletin will call your attention to the 
importance of the subjects discussed herein ; if it serves to bring 
about better physical conditions for our Colorado boys and girls, 
it Avill have accomplished its mission. 

I wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of Mr. R. 
Ernesti, who prepared the article on "School Decoration." Also 
of Mr. W. B. Mooney, of the State Normal School, not alone 
for the articles contributed, but especially for suggestions and 
encouragement in its compilation, without which it would not 
have been possible in its present completeness. 

Cordially yours, 

KATHERINE M. COOK. 



THE BUILDING SITE. 

Concernin<;- the selection of grounds for a school building 
experience has tanght, and authorities urge us to consider, the 
following: 

First. The grounds should be of sufiicient size to give at 
least thirty square feet of space to each child in the school. 

Second Whenever possible a site slightly elevated above 
the surrounding ground should be selected. 

Third. A school should not be located near other buildings, 
nor should trees be planted too close to school buildings. 

Fourth. A school should not be located in an unsightly 
place or on unproductive soil. 

Space does not permit an extensive discussion of the above 
statements, but a few remarks may not be amiss. It is indeed 
difficult to prescribe a limit to the school grounds of a grow- 
ing American community, whether this be a city, or a village, or 
a rural district. That which is ample space when the first build- 
ing is put up becomes cramped and meag'fer when the community 
grows and additions must be rnade to the first building. The ex- 
perience of practically every American town and city should 
teach us to provide ample room for further growth. Perhaps 
another consideration should enter into this matter of the size 
of our school grounds. If we think of a school as being a place 
for the child to do all his learning while sitting at his desk, a 
very small amount of ground is sufficient. But if we think of 
a school in the more modern sense, as being a place where the 
child learns not only when he sits at his desk, but, also, when he 
digs in the soil for the purpose of planting seed and cultivating 
growing plants, it is difficult to prescribe limits to the grounds 
where such activities may go on unhampered for room. Similar 
to the direction of Mrs. Means to her husband in "The Hoosier 
School Master" should be the urgent demand of every community 
to its board of education when it is considering the size of the 
school grounds : "Git a plenty while you are gettin'." 

The danger of having trouble with the foundation owing to 
the presence of "gi-ound water" is sufficient to cause boards of 
education to exercise much care relative to the advantage of the 
site. Slightly elevated ground, as a rule, not only secures good 
drainage, but gives advantage to the architect, and to the 
landscape gardener, in their efforts to make the building and 
grounds artistic and beautiful. 





It is difficult to properly light and ventilate a building where 
obstructions to light or air are too near it. One writer says that 
neighboring huildings should he distant not less than twice their 
height from a school building. Occupied buildings near a school 
building prove a nuisance during the study, as well as the play 
periods of the School. 

Too often rural communities select a poor or worn out piece 
of ground upon which to build the school house. On such soil 
it is impossible to make the surroundings attractive. It should 
be the aim of exevy rural community to show less fortunate 
fellow citizens of the city how attractive a school ground can be. 
Though there be but a one-room building, the school grounds can 
and should be made the civic center of every rural communitv. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

A few important principles should be constantly before 
those who have upon them the great responsibility of building a 
school house, whether it be a large or a small one. 

First. The building should be adequately or properly lighted, 
heated and ventilated. 

Second. The rooms should be as nearly square as possible, 
and of sufficient size to accommodate from thirty to forty pupils. 

Third. Class rooms, where children remain all day, should 
never be placed below the level of the ground. 

Fourth. Well lighted and ventilated wardrobes should be 
provided. Whenever the main halls are used as wardrobes, neat 
racks, rubber cases and umbrella racks should be provided. 

Fifth. To guard against tlie evil effects of "ground air" 
the walls and floors of the basement should be cemented. 

Sixth. The rooms should be finished so as to i:>rovide the 
least possible amount of dust-resting places. 

Seventh. Adequate toilet rooms should be provided, and 
whether placed inside or outside the main building, they should 
be absolutely separate for the two sexes. 

If a school building is so constructed that it could be said 
that its builder had given adequate attention to the essentials 
noted above, it ought to grade high on a percentage basis. There 
ought to be such a basis for grading our school buildings, as well 
as our school equipment and grounds. 



There are, however, other much-to-be-desired features of the 
modern school which wo may onnmerate, though space forbids 
discussion. Schools should have: 

First. A piny room in llic basement, well lighted and ven- 
tilated. 

Second. \ lunch room equipped with small folding tables. 

Third. A general work room, provided with materials to 
weigh, measure, count, etc., placed in strong cases and bins. 

Note — (One room properly constructed could serve all three 
of the above purposes.) 

Fourth. A reading and library room. 

Fifth. A work shop for boys. 

Sia;th. A model kitchen for girls. 

Seventh. An assembly room. 

The modern school building which has been built with an eye 
single, not to its cost, but to its efficiency, has all, and more than 
all, of the appointments which have been mentioned. It is recog- 
nized that school buildings must be kept within reasonable 
bounds as to cost, but the most essential things demand not so 
much a lavish as an intelligent expenditure of money. 



SANITATION. 

In addition to what has been said about ventilation as a 
sanitary measure, we should mention : 

The drinking cup. Perhaps no surer 
moans of conveying such diseases as tuber- 
culosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, etc., ex- 
ists than the common drinking cuj). Each 
school should be provided with a tank to 
which is attached a faucet, and each child 
required to furnish his own drinking cup. 
Wet clothing. Wraps should be dried. 
as soon as practicable after children arrive. 
No child should be allowed to sit with 
damj) clothing or damp feet. Children 
should not be allowed to wear rubbers or 
overshoes in the school room. While damp clothing is being dried, 
as much fresh aii- should ho admitted to the room as can be, 
without lowering the temperature too much. 




Flics. Screens should be used on every school building 
where flies prove troublesome during the fall months. 




THE EQUIPMENT OF A PLAY GROUND. 

The equipment of a country or village school ground or 
house for the playing of healthful and attractive games is a much 
neglected matter. A few suggestions along that line may be of 
value. 

A turning pole for boys may be made 
by setting two posts in the ground, six 
or eight feet apart, and running an 
inch or inch and a quarter gas pipe 
through holes bored in the tops of the 
posts, as shown in Figure 1. The cost 
of such a piece of apparatus should be 
as follows, assuming that the necessary 
work will be done by the teachers and 
boys : 
2 posts, 4"x"4, 8 ft. long, 50 cents. 
1 piece gas pipe, 8 ft. long, 15 cents. 

Teeter boards may be made 
by planting posts ten or 
twelve feet apart, and plac- 
ing a pole or a rounded six 
by six on top of them, and 
then placing boards, upon 
which the children may 
teeter, as shown in figure 2. 
Individual teeter boards may be made by placing a two b}' eight 
board in the ground, and fastening the teeter board to it by means 
of iron braces placed on each side of the upright 
piece, as shown in Figure 3. The cost of the above 
apparatus would be, for several teeters: 

2 upright posts, 6"x6'', 5 ft. long, 93 cents. 

1 piece, 6"x6", 12 ft. long, |1.22. 

4 teeter boards, 2"x8'', 14 ft. long, |2.05. 

For individual teeter : 

1 piece, 2''x8'', 16 ft. long, 56 cents — to make upright 

piece 4 ft. long and teeter board 12 ft. long. 

2 iron braces and 4 large screws, 25 cents. 




J) 




A very attractive and desirable piece of ap- 
paratus may be made as follows: Secure a pole 
about ton or fifteen feet long. To the small end 
attach by the use of bolts one end of a wagon 
axle, spindle up. Upon the spindle place a wagon 
wheel, and to the wheel attach ropes, about as 
long as the pole. Place the big end of the pole 
in the ground, three or four feet, and brace it 
from the four j)oints of the compass. The ropes 
will then hang down from the wheel in such a 
way that the children may take hold of them, 
swing, jump and run around the pole. The one 
described was rather inexpensive. A telephone 
company donated a discarded pole, a farmer a dis- 
carded wagon wheel and axle. The only expense was that of 
paying a blacksmith for attaching the wheel to the pole and the ' 
cost of the ropes. As I remember, the cost was about |2.00. It 
furnished one of the most attractive pieces of apparatus on the 
play ground. A sketch of the apparatus is shown in Figure 4. 

An inexpensive swing 
may be constructed by 
placing four 4x4's in 
the ground in a slant- 
ing position, two being 
opposite each other and 
meeting at the top in 
such a Avay as to form 
a fork. The pairs may be ten or tw^elve feet apart, and a pole 
or heavy galvanized pipe, to which swings may be attached, wired, 
nailed or bolted to the crotches formed by the pieces placed in 
the ground. The cost of this apparatus will be: 

4 pieces, 4"x4'', 14 ft. long, |1.25. 

1 piece galvanized pipe, S'% 12 ft. long, |2.50. 

A good four-ball set of croquet can be purchased for one 
dollar. Each school, however small, ought to have one or more 
sets. Boards of education could well afford to purchase one or 
more basket balls, and a few base balls and bats for the boys. 
These things more than pay for themselves in the added interest 
which boys and girls, who have them, take in their school work. 
For much of the apj^aratus suggested above the wide-awake board 
of education and teacher will see opportunities to use material 
less expenidve than that suggested. And to such persons many 
pieces of apparatus not mentioned here, will suggest themselves 
to fit particular needs and opportunities. 




10 



HEATING AND VENTILATING OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

WAYNE B. PATTERSON^ ARCHITECT^ GREELEY^ COLO. 

It is not the intention to deal in an exhaustive treatise on this 
subject, but to give a comprehensive and brief statement of a 
subject, the importance of which is almost entirely overlooked 
in the planning and building of the smaller school houses. 

The importance of an adequate system of heating and ven- 
tilation for school buildings can not be overemphasized ; in fact, 
the legislatures in some states are recognizing this fact, and are 
enacting laws to compel school boards to provide some means of 
supplying fresh air to the pupils. 

The laws of Pennsylvania require that school houses costing 
more than a stipulated amount, |2,000, shall have in each class 
room at least 15 square feet of floor space and not less than 200 
cubic feet of air space per pupil, and shall provide for an ap- 
proved system of heating and ventilating, by means of Avhich 
each class room shall be supplied with fresh air at the rate of not 
less than 30 cubic feet to each pupil, and warmed to maintain an 
average temperature of 70 degrees in the coldest weather. 

The methods of heating and ventilating may be briefly stated 
as follows : 

1. By stoves. Stoves should never be used, as they give 
absolutely no ventilation. 

2. By furnaces. For buildings of six rooms or less furnaces 
can be used to good advantage, are cheap and give fairly good 
ventilation if care is token in proportioning the inlet and supply 
pipes, and also providing some means of exhausting the foul air. 

3. By direct steam or hot water. While this method is a 
dependable means of heating it does not give a supply of fresh air, 
and for that reason its use is 7iot recommended. 

4. By indirect steam or hot water or a combination of di- 
rect and indirect methods. In this system the cold air is passed 
over radiators into the room to be heated, and the foul air taken 
out by means of aspirating coils in the walls ; this method or some 
vai'iation of the same is recommended for buildings of from 6 
to 12 rooms. 

5. Blower or fan system. In larger buildings than those 
mentioned above a mechanical system should be provided. 
In this method the air is controlled by means of fans or blowers, 
and the foul air discharged into vent flues provided for this pur- 
pose. 

There are probably as many as fifteen diff'erent systems of 
heating and ventilating in use at the present time, but it will be 



II 

found that they are all a variation 'in some form of the above 
noted systems. 

In conclusion it is suggested that an expert should always 
be drawn into counsel — whether the contemplated school build- 
ing be large or small — and that an adequate system of fresh air 
supply be provided. 



HEATING AND VENTILATING OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

The heating and ventilating of schools are so closely related 
that it is impossible to really separate one from the other, and 
no s.ystem of heating should be considered for a school house 
that does not contemplate some sort of ventilation. 

There are practically only two systems of heating for school 
buildings. The use of stoves should not be considered at all, 
even in the smaller school houses, as no ventilation can be ob- 
tained with stoves, the heat being unequally distributed. And it 
is a crime to shut children up in a school room heated by stoves, 
with no ventilation, having the children breathe over and over 
again the same air. 

Hot water should not be used in the ordinary school, as it 
is necessary with this system of heating to keep up the fire con- 
tinuously in order to prevent the pipes from freezing when the 
school is not in session. 

There remain, therefore, two systems of heating, that of hot- 
air furnaces, or by steam. Of these two systems steam is by far 
the best. Good results may be obtained from furnaces when 
there is no wind blowing and when every condition is favorable. 
It is hard to carry the heat from a furnace against the wind, as 
the heat will follow the lines of the least resistance, making 
one side of the building warm and the exposed side cold. Fur- 
nace heating is not advisable in more than three, or, at the most, 
four rooms. The use of steam for heating is the best; though 
the cost of installation is more than that of the furnace, the cost 
of running it is less, and it has this advantage : the heat can be 
placed where it is wanted, and a steam plant properly installed 
will last as long as the building. 

Stoani for healing ciiu be used in one of three ways: By 
direct radiation, where the radiators are i)]aced in the rooms. 
This system, unless jtrovided with ventilation, is not any better 
than stoves. 

The direct — indii-ect system — in which |]m> i\\v is brought 
through an ojiening in the wall and up through the radiator. 



12 

The third system of heating by steam is the indirect, where 
the heating coils are placed in the basement, connected up with 
ample fresh air ducts, and the air warmed by passing through 
the coils is carried up separately to the school rooms. In this 
system each individual room has its own separate heating coil 
and is not connected with any other room, thus insuring each 
room its own required amount of warm air. The warm air 
should be brought into the school room eight feet above the floor. 

This system of indirect heating, there being no radiators 
placed in the school rooms, used in connection with a gravity 
method of ventilation, is the best for school buildings of ten 
rooms or less, where the janitor is not a skilled engineer, as in 
this arrangement there is no machinery to look after; it runs 
itself. 

The openings into vent shafts should be at the floor level. 
All vents should be large enough to change the air in the room 
without creating a draft. Thirty cubic feet of air per minute 
for each pupil is the accepted standard of air supply. This 
means a large volume of warm air coming in and the same 
amount going out every hour. The vent shafts should run 
straight up through the building, without any crooks or angles, 
and carried well up above the roof. The vents must be heated, 
in order to create an upward draft, either by the use of coils 
of pipe of ample size or by placing them next to the warm air flue, 
with metal partition between. The vent stacks should be built of 
brick or metal, and should be provided with dampers, to open 
and close. Dampers should be closed after school hours and 
opened an hour before school begins in the morning. The warm 
air flues should have dampers that admit either warm air through 
the steam coils or cold air from the fresh air ducts. The damp- 
ers to be so installed that the air supply can not be shut off; 
that there will be either warm air or cold air entering the rooms 
during the sessions of the school. , 

The main air supplies are provided with windows, to open 
and close. 

Great progress has been made in our state in the last few 
years in the matter of school building, but there is room for a 
greater improvement in our smaller buildings in the matter of 
ventilation, and every school built should contain a system of 
heating and ventilating, even if it does add to the first cost of 
the building. 

THOS. P. BARBER, 

Architect. 

Colorado Springs, Colo. 



13 



HEATING AND VENTILATING. 



It is not the purpose of this pamphlet to give a treatise on 
the subject of heating and ventilating school rooms and build- 
ings, but to give a few suggestions to school teachers and officers 
which may aid them when they have to deal with these important 
matters. 

Most village and country schools are heated by means of 
stoves. In most of such cases there is no provision for admitting 
fresh air into the room, except by doors and windows. In figure 
7 is shown a simple and inexpensive device which may be in- 
stalled in any one, two, or even eight, room school building where 
stoves are used. 




^^■llen such an arrangement is jjrovided, air comes in from 
the outside, is heated as it i)assos around the stove, and is then 
sent into the room in better condition for the children to breathe 
than if admitted directly through doors or windows, especially 
on cold days. The cold, or fresh air, duct should have in it a 
damper or other means of regulating the amount of air ad- 



14 

mitted. Tlie duct may be made of wood or tin. Means for clean- 
ing the air duct should be provided. 

An ordinary hot air furnace is probably the best means that 
can be devised for heating a small school building. It per- 
forms the function of heating and ventilating at the same time; 
it is not expensive to install it; it does not require an expert to 
run it, and while it may cost more in the way of fuel, the system 
has advantages which probabl}' justify this additional cost. 

Small buildings may be heated by steam. This method of 
heating has some advantage over the hot-air furnace plan. Heat 
can be sent to every part of the building regardless of outside 
weather conditions; and the fuel cost is less. It has. however, 
some drawbacks which should be considered. It costs more to 
install than the hot-air system ; it is not a ventilator and heating 
system combined, and it requires an expert to run it, otherwise 
it is dangerous. For large buildings steam heat is the only 
practicable system for heating and most people who have given 
the matter attention agree that the so-called fan system is the 
only successful system of ventilation for large school buildings. 
There are, however, differences of opinion relative to the merits 
of the fan sj stem of ventilation, but since it is not a practicable 
system for any but very large buildings, its merits and demerits 
need not be discussed here. 

While windows and doors should not be depended upon too 
much for ventilating purposes, they, nevertheless, afford the 
means of ventilation for the great majority of school rooms and 
buildings. While we may regret that such is the case, we must 
keep the fact clearly before lis that we, as teachers and the 
children as pupils, must have fresh air in order that the best re- 
sults from school-room efforts may be obtained. How to get this 
air in a way that will prevent colds is a never ending tax on 
the teacher's time and energy, because the scheme which worked 
yesterday is, owing to changed weather conditions outside, of 
no use to-day; as a consequence, we should seek some kind of a 
scheme that will, as far as conditions will permit, be self-regu- 
lating in its operation. The scheme suggested above, where 
stoves are being used, has been found very satisfactory, inex- 
pensive and easily installed in buildings already erected. A good 
many buildings originally heated by stoves have been equipped 
with a hot air furnace, which has proved satisfactory, though 
somewhat more expensive than to make a fresh air duct which 
leads into the room under the stove. 

Ventilation by means of windows must have constant at- 
tention. Transoms placed above the windows, which cause the 
air to take an upward direction as it enters the room, is the most 



15 



desirable form of window ventilation. The objection to transoms 
is that they obstruct the best light which enters the room — that 
from the top of the windows. The next best form of window venti- 
lation is to lower the window from the top. The most dangerous 
of window ventilation is to raise the window from the bottom; 
this allows the cold air to strike the pupils directly, and is almost 
sure to result in colds, sore throats, etc. Never, except on very 
warm days, should windows be opened from the bottom while 
the children are sitting at their desks. They should, however, 
unless the weather is too severe outside, be so opened when the 
children are taking physical exercises in the room, and during 
the recess period when the children should be out of the room. 
To keep a child in during the recess period for punishment, which 
usually necessitates keeping the doors and windows closed, is to 
l)unish, not only the offender, but all the rest of the school, in- 
cluding the teacher, by not giving the room the airing it needs 
during that period. 

Perhaps attention should be called to a plan of window ven- 
tilation used by many succe'of?ful teac^'.-^rs when the day is very 
cold. A board is made to fit the window in such a way that 

when the window is raised 



BOARD 



from the bottom the board is 
placed in it and the lower 
sash pulled down until it 
rests firmly on the board, 
holding it firmly in place. 
This leaves an opening be- 
tween the upper and lower 
sash, the lower sash causing 
the air to take an upward di- 
rection as it enters the room. 
One is often ignorant of 
the condition of the air in the 
room, but many schemes have 
been suggested for the detec- 
tion of vitiated air. None, of 
them is simple enough to be 
of use to the busy teacher.- 
^^'hen proper hygiene lessons 
are being given, the teacher 
can get the children to aid her 
in her efforts to keep the air in 
the room entirely pure. When 
rliildren leave the room, and 
liiey defect fhe odor of vitiated ;ur. tliey should 

ii niMttcr of mu- 



on their return 

feel at liberty to inform the teacher (piietl.v 



'IG 

tual protection. Any one will know that when a room of chil- 
dren is closed for any appreciable time the air will become im- 
pure very quickly. Watching out for the ventilation of the school 
room is one of those things the teacher must reduce to the 
spinal cord, to the reflex centers. It is so easy to become ab- 
sorbed in the routine of the school room, or in the enthusiasm 
of the recitation, that even experienced teachers forget, and al- 
low their rooms to become foul with breathed and re-breathed 
air. 

One caution — children should be taught, through the hy- 
giene work, to aid the teacher in keeping the air as pure as pos- 
sible in the room; but they should not be allowed to raise or 
lower windows, except on request. To avoid misunderstanding 
between teacher and pupils, and between pupils themselves, it 
is usually best for the teacher to do this work herself. 

Every room should be provided wath a thermometer. A 
school room should be kept as near 70 degrees Fahrenheit as pos- 
sible. 



LIGHTING. 



A great many observations and experiments have been made 
relative to the lighting of school rooms. These experiments and 
observations have fully demonstrated : 

(1) That for every six square feet of floor space there must 
be at least one square foot of window glass. 

(2) That a room is best lighted when the light enters it 
from the left and rear. It is next best lighted when the light 
enters it from the right and rear. 

(3) That the best light enters the room from the top of the 
window. For this reason the tops of windows should never be 
oval in form and should be not' inore than six inches from the 
ceiling. For the same reason window shades should not be 
allowed to obstruct the light from the top of the window. 

(4) That objects which cast shadows in the room, causing 
what is known as "cross lights," should be avoided. These may 
be caused by posts placed within the room as supports for the 
ceiling, by window mullions, and by the child's own body. Too 
much care can not be taken by the architect and builder in this 
matter. It is believed that these "cross lights" produce the most 
serious eye strain. 

(5) That no child should sit facing a window. 

(6) That many of the headaches and much of the nervous- 
ness, too common among our school children, is due to eye strain. 



17 

(7) That the greatest injury to eye sight comes from: 

(a) Looking at a book or surface, a part of which is not 
so well lighted as the rest, i. e., upon which ''cross lights" are 
falling. 

(b) By trying to read in a dim light. 

(c) By reading in a light that is very bright. 

(8) That light colored shades, which when down will shut 
out direct rays of the sun, but which will allow sufficient light to 
pass into the room, are best for the school room. 

(9) That attention to the color of the ceiling and walls is 
of consequence in the lighting of any school room. Tints of blue, 
green or brown are recommended. 

Since modern life demands such a constant use of the eyes, 
it is of much consequence to the present and future happiness of 
our boys and girls whether we give or do not give proper atten- 
tion to the lighting of buildings in which they are compelled to 
work. 



SCHOOL ROOM DECORATION. 

The first thing we need for proper school room decoration is 
a clean and properly tinted wall, and, to preserve this, well-fitted 
Ay screens on the windows and doors. To teach the child to 
properly open, enter and close a screen door is a lesson in ethics. 

Cleanliness must always come first; it is the most important 
key note to refinement of any kind; it is the basis of order; it 
makes for constructive preservation, and is the very thing to 
shame the vandal. 

Do not have too many pictures', at any time, no matter what 
their quality. Consider the experience of the average mortal 
who visits the picture gallery or museum. The eye needs change 
and rest and diversity. The interest of the child, of the grade 
age, can not be too long held, and pictures that hang on a wall, 
day in and day out, lose interest to them. It is poor art psy- 
chology to let one picture hang all year upon a wall — let us say 
upon one spot. The Japanese understand this better. They 
take out one picture at a time, hang or place it for a certain 
location or association, enjoy it, and then return it to its recep- 
tacle or closet. 

In selecting the kind of picture to be provided the first dic- 
tate is to follow considerations of environment, for instance: 
For the country school near to a large manufacturing city, such 
as Pueblo, Colorado. I w^ould recommend such a picture as 
MenzePs "Ironnioulder," because the children will be drawn to 
these industries, and there is an ethical value in the ennobling of 
labor, as pictured in the heroic figures of Menzel. If the school is 



19 

in a country surrounded entirely by Mjiricultural districts, I be- 
lieve in reproductions, as good as obtainable, by Kosa Bonheur, 
Dupre, Troyan, Millet, and any masters, old or modern, who deal 
in nature or country life. These effects and relations the alert 
teacher will grasp and adjust. 

We can not have too high a standard, but we have too high 
a standard in art for our children. We should consider art in 
school room decoration from the standpoint of the children, 
and not arrange, select and hang decorative subjects according 
to our own judgment, losing sight of the children's attitude. 

The a priori considerations should be : first, what does the 
child want; second, what is good for the child in sequence; third, 
how can we promote growth and appreciation. The child always 
likes to see the teacher do something — read, re(;ite, draw pictures — 
and this will always inspire, no matter if not done in the most 
perfect manner to begin with. Teacher and child will get what 
is good for them; they will draw and grow together; the child 
is inspired to imitate by what the teacher does. All teachers can 
make themselves competent to do something in this line if they 
only will. 

Sketches made by the teacher (for instance, one or two sim- 
ple landscapes on paper with charcoal) may be used for decora- 
tion to begin with. Have a changeable frame made, into which 
you can place these sketches for a few days, never longer than 
a week. Place the frame on a narrow shelf, in a good light, on 
a level with your eyes; the shelf long enough and wide enough 
to place beside your framed picture a piece of pottery or a bunch 
of flowers in tune with your picture. Do not go out and gatiier 
any and every flower within reach. Get flowers, if jiossible, 
which are in harmony with the day's picture, for example: get 
blue flowers to-day, if they harmonize with your sketch; gather 
yellow flowers to-morrow ; the yellow might do with some kind 
of sunset, the ]>ink with the sunrise picture, the blue with the 
mid-day picture, having lots of blue sky or water. If a fall 
scene has been drawn, or some kind of a sunset, select an api)ro- 
priate bunch of fall foliage in season. A small bunch of pine, 
cedar or spruce, with a cone or two, will make a fine accompani- 
ment to a j)icture of a few pine trees done in charcoal or colored 
crayons. 

May T reinind you that anticipation and recollection excel 
realization. Let your children antici])ate what shall be the next 
scheme in decoration, and let them speak in recollection of this 
or that beautiful efl'ect produced by them and you. The world 
is so full of beauty, the range of selection so far and wide, that 
the intelligent mind need never be at a loss for selection or diver- 
sity. Even beautiful stones, gathered on the shelf for a few days, 
serve as a lesson in beautv and color. 



20 

Almost every family has some little treasure — perhaps a 
sword, or a flag, or a gun with a history, a rug of interest. These 
may frequently be borrowed for an educational decoration in 
your school room for a short time. • 

Everything of form and color has interest for children, and 
gradually they will grow, through these efforts, to learn to appre- 
ciate the Parthenon, Apollo and the master painters. 



THE TEACHERS' RELATION TO THE COMMUNITY. 

An important duty of the school is to adjust the children to 
their environment, and an important phase of the teacher's work 
is her relation to the community. This relation is especially 
significant in rural and village schools, where community inter- 
ests are narrower, and there is less opportunity for wholesome 
and cultivated amusements in the social life. The teacher 
should, by all means, be in the closest possible touch with the 
community and its homes. Without co-operation of the home 
and school, of the parents and teachers, success in any school 
becomes very difficult; with it, the teacher's accomplishments are 
much greater and her work less. If possible, the teacher should 
spend some time in the community before school begins, getting 
acquainted with the homes and the children. She should, by all 
means, live in the community and take an active interest in its 
affairs — not merely stay there. Make an effort to have the school 
a real center of the community interests for all educational pur- 
poses, both for young and old. A school house is public prop- 
erty, and there is no good reason why it should be closed for 
everything but the regularly accepted school uses, when the needs 
of the district demand that it be kept open, under proper regu- 
lations, for general educational purposes. 

Nearly all the studies in the 'curriculum, particularly geog- 
raphy, nature study and English, can be taught best with refer- 
ence to and in consideration of the environment of the school. 
In the decoration of the room, this consideration is especially 
valuable, and helps much to make the people feel the interest of 
the teacher and the school in the community and its work. 

''A serious criticism of American teachers is that they ac- 
quire the teacher's attitude out of school toward the pupils and 
the work." It is to obviate this difficulty, and to bring: closer 
together the citizen and his school, that mothers' clubs, parents' 
associations, etc., have been, and are being, formed and success- 
fully conducted. The country or village teacher should not feel 
that her opportunities in this direction are, in any sense, less 
than those of the city teacher. The possibilities, outside of mere 



21 

numbers, in mothers' elubs, school entertainments, reading cir- 
cles, librarj' improvements, etc., are very much greater in the 
country than in the city, because of the fact that the people have 
fewer diverting interests and fewer amusements of the best class. 

The last report from Winnebago county, Illinois, describes 
a patrons' league, in one of the rural districts, in which parents 
and patrons bind themselves together for the purpose of co- 
operating with the teacher for the physical and intellectual 
welfare of the children of the district, and each member agrees 
to spend at least one hour each term in beautifying the school 
house and grounds. 

It should be remembered that we have changed rapidly from 
a nation of farmers to a nation of dwellers in cities, and modern 
improved conditions, both of living and of making a living, have 
deprived our boys and girls of many of the advantages and 
opportunities of home work, with the corresponding discipline 
and responsibility which that life afforded. The school should 
recognize its responsibility, and should compensate, in as great 
a measure as possible, for what modern conditions lack. 

If school buildings were less unsightly — made beautiful and 
happy places, with play grounds, gymnasiums, libraries, proper 
play things and proper work things — it would be less difficult to 
keep children there and to make them love school. The teachers 
can do much toward fostering the sympathetic co-operation which 
is necessary to secure a highly developed and successful school 
system, and to create a demand for the best in educational equip- 
ment, as well as the sen\timent which furnishes the material to 
supply it, and to make the community and the homes feel that 
individual responsibility without which our children can never 
be reallv educated. 




*^^^"^"^*-"Pj ^-"y ag^^ ' 



i^ 



Firs 



FLODR 



ft 

J 

i^LAM 







j:| OxcK- 1^ 



■>j"yA <: L-','^ '^^^' ■- i- !? 



tfefe;?^»W» 



^i&.:^^>f^ 



Second • Flgdr • Plan 




flooi?^ Plan 



Cle»r 0-^^\( A4»n\J Coo^V 




MODEL TEN-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE. 




f IP5T rL""!? DLAN "P a TtN 
P<'"M aCM""L BUILDINIi 
TM^a PB&C&CD ADCH1TE.CT 
SCALE sittT T" AM INCH, 



aJ 




Otc°ND f L""p Plan "f a ten 
Pt't'M OCHC'"L BUILDING Th"5 
P &AP&ER, ACCnlTLCT C°L^CAD° 
ODDiNG5_ c°L°- SCALt 6FT T" IN Inch 




riPST rL°°C PLAN op AN 
ClQHT P°"M aCM"°L DUILD- 
IN5- TM°5 PBADBED ARCHITECT 
OCALE 8FEET T° AN INCH 



FLOOR PLAN OF BUILDING ON PRECEDING PAGE, IN DISTRICT NO. 14. 




ND pi-""i? Plan °r an 

ClGtiT P"°M CCH°°L I5UIL0- 
I NG- TM"a P 5ARBEP, ADCHITCCT 
OCAU SFEtT T° AN INCH, 



SECOND FLOOR SAME, IF USED, IN TWO-STORY BUILDING. 



..jj^JRY OF CONGRESS 

021 332 78i''f'''' 



